Editor’s Note: This is the latest in the series of vignettes of local block captains drawn from Them That Do, a multimedia documentary project and community blog by West Philly-based award-winning photographer Lori Waselchuk. Make sure to go to Them That Do for more photos, videos and other information and updates.

Jeff Lutzner has 23 years experience as the block captain of 4900 Cedar Avenue in Philadelphia. Photo by Lori Waselchuk

A few years back block captain Jeff Lutzer and others on the 4900 block of Cedar Avenue had an idea to get the city to fill more than 30 potholes on their street. For a year he tried unsuccessfully to get the street repaired. Then he and his neighbors resorted to protest in the spirit of guerrilla gardeners. On a citywide cleanup day, they filled the potholes with potting soil and planted palettes of marigold and impatience flowers into them.

“They were only there for a day,” says Lutzner, but with the help of coverage in the University City Review, the flowers bore fruit. It took a few months, but the city eventually paved over the potholes.

Humor and persistence are useful qualities for any block captain. Lutzner, who has been in the post for 23 years, has needed plenty of humor and persistence. It’s been smooth sailing, but he would consider handing over the title to the next generation.

If you live on the 4900 block of Cedar Avenue and are interested, Lutzner could share how his laid-back approach helped him reduce the number of hours he spends on block duties. He concentrates on the basics: cleanups and safety.

If the potential candidate has a family, he or she might want to reinstate annual block parties. “When we moved here, we had lots of kids,” Lutzner says. As a father of two, Lutzner organized block parties and street games and remembers a street full of children.

Lately, though, there isn’t much interest in jumping castles. The block’s demographics have changed. “The challenge now is staying connected to the ever-changing tenants in rental units.”

Working from home is a plus for a block captain aspirant. Lutzner runs his business, Caoba Doors, from home, so he has kept an eye on things without too much effort.  He is also visible and available. “When there is a major issue, people come to me,” he says.

A green thumb wouldn’t hurt either, just in case the city gets behind in filling potholes again.

–Lori Waselchuk

Lil’ Pop Shop on 44th St near Spruce is hosting a pop-up cookie shop starting Saturday, Jan. 18. (Photo by Amy Kwasnicki).

Great news for Girl Scout cookie fans: The annual sale that supports local Girl Scout troops, Junior troop 91143, Brownie 93273, and Daisy 91569, starts Thursday, Jan. 16 and will go on until Sunday, Jan. 26. There will be several opportunities and table locations to choose from in the neighborhood. Here’s the schedule:

Thursday, Jan. 16 & Friday, Jan. 17

3:45-6:15 p.m. – on Locust Walk in front of St. Mary’s Church (40th & Locust)

3:45-6:30 p.m. – in front of Eastern Mountain Sports, the corner of 34th and Chestnut Streets

Saturday, Jan. 18

10:00 a.m.-2:00 p.m. – Clark Park “B” Park, on 43rd near corner of Chester Avenue

10:00 a.m.-1:00 p.m. – “Pop-up Cookie Shop” in the Lil’ Pop Shop store, 265 S 44th St, between Locust and Spruce

Sunday, Jan. 19

10:00 a.m.-1:00 p.m. – “Pop-up Cookie Shop” in the Lil’ Pop Shop store

Tuesday, Jan. 21

3:30-7:30 p.m. – SEPTA El Station, between 30th and 31st Streets on Market

Wednesday, Jan. 22

3:45-6:15 p.m. – on Locust Walk in front of St. Mary’s Church

Thursday, Jan. 23

3:45-6:30 p.m. – in front of Eastern Mountain Sports

Saturday, Jan. 25

10:00 a.m.-2:00 p.m. – Clark Park “B” Park (43rd & Chester)

10:00 a.m.-1:00 p.m. – “Pop-up Cookie Shop” in the Lil’ Pop Shop store

Sunday, Jan. 26

10:00 a.m.-1:00 p.m. – “Pop-up Cookie Shop” in the Lil’ Pop Shop store

For more information e-mail Amy Kwasnicki at: kwaszilla@gmail.com.

Garden Court Community Association (GCCA) is holding a zoning meeting this Thursday (Jan. 16) about a new building proposed for 5027 Spruce Street. Community members are invited to attend the meeting to learn more about the project and to provide their input. The proposed building is a multi-family, four story apartment building, which will be nearly identical to the four story building at 5038 Spruce (see images below).

The public forum to discuss the proposed construction will take place at 6 p.m. in the Vineyard Community Church (corner of 51st and Sansom Streets).

Those who would like to attend the meeting but can’t make it are invited to contact GCCA’s Zoning Chair, Mariya Khandros, via email (mariya.khandros@gmail.com) with any questions or concerns.

A multi-family four story apartment building is being proposed at 5027 Spruce Street.

Four story building at 5038 Spruce Street (Source: Google).

Fatima Rahman / Photo via Philly Police Blog.

A 21-year-old female of Bangladeshi descent, Fatima Rahman, has been missing since January 2 from the 4300 block of Chestnut Street, according to police. Rahman was last seen by her family members inside her residence at approximately 1:30 p.m. on Jan. 2. Rahman left her residence without her cell phone or jacket.

Rahman is described as 5’1”, 120lbs, thin build. She has brown eyes, olive skin, and shoulder length black hair. She was last seen wearing a blue head scarf, red sweater and blue jeans. Rahman has been known to frequent the areas of 43rd and Walnut Streets, as well as 34th and Race Streets.

Police said that Rahman suffers from schizophrenia and that she left her house without medication. Without her medication, she can become “increasingly paranoid and will avoid contact with people.”

Anyone with information on the whereabouts of Fatima Rahman is asked to contact Southwest Detective Division at 215-686-3183 or dial 911.

Here’s a heads up for parents looking for school registration information for next year at two neighborhood schools.

The registration lottery period for the Penn Alexander School (43rd & Locust) begins next Tuesday, Jan. 21, and runs through Friday, Feb. 28, according to the School District of Philadelphia. The registration is open to students who live within the school’s catchment area. Proof of residence will be required for registration. Applications can be submitted at the school between 8:30 a.m. and 3 p.m. The lottery will be conducted on March 5 and parents will be notified by letter during the week of March 10.

Kindergarten enrollment at the Henry C. Lea School (47th & Locust) also begins on Jan. 21. The Lea School will host an open house on Thursday, Jan. 16 from 8:45 a.m. to 9:45 a.m. The open house will start in the school’s auditorium (the entrance is through the small playground on Locust Street). If you are interested in Lea but don’t live in the catchment the deadline for the voluntary transfer process is this Friday, Jan. 17. Get more information here.

The West Philadelphia neighborhoods of Mantua, Mill Creek, Powelton Village, Belmont and Parkside have never been short on hope, dreams and promise. But they have often been short on funding.

That will very likely change now that these areas have been declared a federally designated “promise zone,” which makes them more likely to get future federal funding. About half of the zone’s approximately 35,000 residents live in poverty. The zone runs from Girard Avenue south to Sansom Street and 48th Street east to the Schuylkill River.

Here are some reactions on Twitter to the announcement last week:

We’ve always believed that our community had #promise! Excited for the potential the #promisezone funds will bring! http://t.co/UaMxXLDRAz

— PEC (@PECCaresPhilly) January 10, 2014

Pres @BarackObama at the #PromiseZone designation announcement. Phila is proud to receive this award. pic.twitter.com/pZBnL7DvFm — Michael A. Nutter (@Michael_Nutter) January 9, 2014

Hope the #promisezone activities in #phl include voter education. Voting -> Power -> Economic Power http://t.co/SO3rR1gSGn — Stephanie Singer (@sfsinger) January 10, 2014

Obama Designates Philadelphia as A Promise Zone, Drexel Will Play a Key Role in the Education Effort http://t.co/gGoKTOLhYV #Drexel

— Drexel U. News (@DrexelNews) January 10, 2014

The Philadelphia Inquirer‘s Jeff Gammage wrote a lengthy story published today that includes reactions from many of the players involved. They include grassroots organizations like the Mantua Civic Association and major nearby institutions like Drexel University. Wilford Shamlin III has a story in today’s Philadelphia Tribune on Drexel’s work with schools in the area.

The key strategies in the area include (from the White House website):

• Putting people back to work through skills training and adult education; classes on small business development to support entrepreneurs; loans and technical assistance for small resident-owned businesses; and the development of a supermarket providing both jobs and access to healthy food.

• Improving high-quality education to prepare children for careers, in partnership with Drexel University and the William Penn Foundation, through increasing data-driven instruction that informs teacher professional development; developing school cultures that are conducive to teaching and learning; mentoring middle and high school youth with focus on college access and readiness; and increasing parent engagement.

• Preventing and reducing crime in order to attract new residents and long-term investments, through strategies such as focused deterrence, hot spots policing, and foot patrol. 

These neighborhoods have heard “promises” before. University City High School, for example, was renamed “University City Promise Academy” during the 2010-2011 school year. Two years later it was closed. So as the dust settles from the announcement we look forward to bringing you future posts on actual projects and how to get involved with them.